Apparatus for drawing metal



April 30, 1935. E, H. ARNOLD APPARATUS FOR DRAWING METAL Filed Aug. 4, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l MM mm mr a 1! w A TTORNEYJ.

April 30, 1935. E. H. ARNOLD APPARATUS FOR DRAWING METAL I Filed Aug 4, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 INVENTOR; rnesi' 7'1. 4191074 JBY 6'3 1- at ATTORM;

Patented Apr. 30, 1935 TA'Eg ldllaiit stir 14 Glaims.

This invention relating as indicated to apparatus for drawing metal, has particular reference to apparatus for transforming a substantially circular flat blank of suitable metal into a Cylindrical vessel having a closed bottom.

When converting a circular blank of relatively thin stock into a cylindrical body having a closed bottom it is necessary to progressively distort the metal by easy stages so that the resultant prodnot will have a uniform wall thickness throughout, and, further, be free from wrinkles and other objectionable imperfections.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide apparatus for drawing metal which shall be capable of accomplishing the above named desirable results. Other objects of my invention will appear as the description proceeds. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain means and one mode of carrying out the invention, such disclosed means and mode illustrating, however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view of one form of the apparatus comprising my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, showing the relative position of the parts at the completion of the second draw; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View of a slightly modified form of apparatus in position to proceed with the third drawing operation; Fig. l is a sectional view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 3 showing the parts occupying the position at the completion of the fourth draw; Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the forming ring supporting members forming a part of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 5; Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the means for removably securing the member illustrated in Fig. 5 in position to support one of the forming ring members of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the cam block.

Referring now more specifically to the draw ings and more especially to Fig. 1, the method comprising my invention and the apparatus for carrying forth the same forms a part of an entire machine assembly which includes a support- .ing base or table I! and means associated with a reciprocating head 2 whereby such head may be moved toward and away from the base i. Since the entire mechanism forms no part of this invention and the construction of the same is well known to those familiar with the art, a showing 5 of the detailed construction of such entire mechanism has been omitted in order to simplify the showing of the apparatus comprising my invention. Sufiiceit to say that the table l has associated therewith and supports, in the manner 10 presently to be described, the actuated elements of the apparatus which cooperate with the dies carried by the head 2.

Associated with the table I, as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 is a cylinder 3 to which fluid under pressure may be supplied by means of a conduit t and a duct 5. Oscillatably supported in the cylinder 3 is apiston 6 which has associated therewith a vertically disposed piston rod '5. Concentric with the cylinder 3 is a second cylinder 8 which is supplied with fluid under pressure through the passage 8' and has associated therewith a piston 9 through which the piston arm 7 extends, pressure fluid admitted at duct inlet 8 having access to the piston 9 through any suitable communicating opening p. The piston rod l carries a head l E! and the piston 9 carries a head l l, which heads, in combination with the pistons associated therewith, suitably support the ap paratus presently to be described.

The base 9 of the machine, or any other suitable part thereof, has preferably rigidly secured thereto a bed plate 82. Mounted on the bed plate i2 is a base member is which has centrally secured thereto and upwardly projecting therefrom a forming stake or a male die Hi, the outside diameter of which is equal to the inside diameter of the shell which is to be formed at the end of the second drawing operation.

The head H, which is supported on the piston '40 9, carries a plurality of vertically disposed circumferentially spaced supporting pins l5 which at their upper ends carry an aligning and drawing plate it. The plate it is concentric with the drawing stake it and has an annular ridge ll formed thereon for the purpose of locating a suitable circular blank it of fiat metallic stock from which the article is to be made.

Concentric with the forming stake it and the plate l3 and intermediately thereof is a forming ring l e which is axially supported for axial movement relatively to the forming stake i l by an annular plate 26. The annular plate 28 which supports the forming ring it is in turn supported on the head it of the piston rod l by means of 70 earn block 2 3 which engages the recess 38 in said between the abutment 22 and the ring 20.

a plurality of stakes or rods 2! arranged vertically and preferably equally spaced about the central forming stake.

The base member i3 has associated therewith an abutment 22, the form of which is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 7. The abutment 22 has a groove 23 formed in its upper surface in which is reciprocably mounted a cam block 2 3. The cam block 26 is movably secured in the groove 23 by means of a plate which extends across such groove and is secured to the legs thereof. The outside end of the groove 23 is closed by a removable plate 25. Positioned within a recess provided therefor in the cam block 25 is a compression spring 27 which at one end bears against the inner face of the plate 25, and accordingly urges the cam block toward the annular plate 20. Excessive movement of the cam block 2 under the influence of the spring '2? is prevented by means of a pin 28 which is secured to the plate 25 and projects through the same into a slot 29 formed the upper face of the cam block 26. The inner end of the cam block 2 carries on its upper face a narrowed vertical projection 3% which fits a slot in the rim of annular plate 28 positioned vertically through the middle of a recess 3%) therein, next to be described.

The. annular plate or ring 28, as most clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5, is provided with a radial recess 38 for the reception ofthe horizontal ears 39' carried on the terminal portion 3i of the cam block 2 whereby such ring is locked in an elevated position, as most clearly illustrated in Figs. 1, 5 and 6. The ring member 23 likewise has spaced lugs 32 projecting radially therefrom which are adapted to engage the under face of complementary lugs 33 carried by the abutment 22. The lugs 32 and 33 cooperate to prevent the piston rod '5 from pushing the ring as upwardly farther than the plane determined by such abutments.

The ring or plate 56 carries a cam punch M which, as such ring is lowered, moves the cam block 2a to the left, as illustrated in Fig. 1, against the spring 2? thereby releasing the engagement For this operation a cam face on said cam punch 3 engages the inside end of said cam block 25.

The female die carried by the reciprocating head 2 of the machine consists of annular members 35 and 35 with inside diameters respectively equal to the outside diameters of the ring 59 and the forming stake i i plus two thicknesses of the metal forming the article. The operation of the apparatus so far described is as follows:

When the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. l, a circular flat blank E8 of suitable materialwill be placed on the plate it and maintained in proper centered position by means of the annular projection it. The female die is then brought down and the lower face 3? of the ring 35 presses the blank against the plate it, which plate, as the female die descends, will likewise descend against the pressure exerted thereon by the piston 9.

As the die descends the ring 35 will draw the blank around over the forming ring i9 which is being rigidly supported in elevated position by annular ring 26 which is locked by means of the ring 20. The metal is therefore smoothly drawn over the ring if! until the cam punch 34 has descended sufficiently'to move the cam block 2 3 out,

thereby releasing the ring 20 which supports the draw ring l9. As the female die descends further the size of the blank is reduced to that illustrated in Fig. 2. As the metal is drawn over the forming stake Hi the upper end of the drawing ring i 9 forces the metal against the cam shoulder 38 by the force which is exerted on the ring 23 by means of the piston 6. Ihe metal is therefore drawn to the size illustrated in Fig. 2 without possibility of the occurrence of wrinkles or like imperfections. The position of the several parts after the completion of this second drawing operation is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

For a further reduction in diameter of the shell and a corresponding increase in its axial extent, an apparatus similar to that described and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 may be employed with the exception that a suitable ring member must be employed instead of the plate It for locating the blank centrally on the forming stake and maintaining suitable contact with the female die to prevent the occurrence of wrinkles during the rawing operation.

Such a form of apparatus, that is for the purpose of proceeding with the drawing operations after the circular flat blank has been cupped in the manner described, is most clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. In these figures is likewise illustrated an alternative form of construction of the means which may be employed for holding the draw ring in locked elevated position during the time the first drawing operation 'roceeds.

The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is similar to that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 insuch as the product of the operations outlined inconnection with the description of Figs. 1 and 2, the outer draw ring is in the form of an annular band 38 which is supported on a plate such as 55'. The ring 20 which supports the inner draw ring Hi in this modified form of construction, carries reciprocating slides 40 which are adapted to actuate reciprocating slides M mounted in suit-.

able ways or guides provided therefor in the central forming stake Id. The slides M are normally urged outwardly or radially of the forming stake by means of a compression spring 42 which, when the ring 23 is in the position illustrated in Fig. 3, forces the slides 45 outwardly so that the ring i9 is locked against downward axial movement on the stake M. As the female die moves downwardly and after the first draw has been completed, by forcing the plate l6 downwardly the cam punches 34' will force the slides 4% and therethrough push the slides 45 inwardly until the outer ends of the slides 4! are flush with the outer periphery of the forming stake 14' so that the forming ring 59' may move downwardly as the last drawing operation is performed by the female die 36 in forcing the metal of the shell down over the central forming stake. The position of the several parts after this last draw has been completed is most clearly-illustrated in Fig. 4. Y

From the above description it will be noted that metal maybe formed by my invention by first providing a substantially circular blank of fiat metallic stock and then successively forming the same in the manner described. This may be done with the apparatus comprising my invention with a minimum number of operating parts. A further advantage of the apparatus comprising my invention resides in the fact that the entire actuating mechanism for the means rigidly supporting the intermediate forming ring during the first drawing operation is entirely contained within the apparatus associated with the dies. It is therefore necessary only to provide a set of dies with the associated mechanism as above described with any of the well known types of machines for drawing metal, and the superior re- Sults above enumerated can be attained by the simple operation of the described parts.

Other modes of applying the principles of my invention may be'employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the means and the steps herein disclosed, provided those stated by any of the following claims or their equivalent be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a female die, a plurality of male dies, means resiliently supporting some of said male dies, radially movable locking means securingone of said male dies against movement, and means movable with another of said male dies for releasing said locking means.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a female die, a plurality of relatively movable concentrically arranged male dies, means resiliently supporting some of said male dies, radially movable locking means securing one of said male dies against movement, and means movable with another of said male dies for releasing said locking means.

3. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a female die, a plurality of relatively movable concentrically arranged male dies the central one of which is stationary, means resiliently supporting some of said male dies, radially movable locking means securing one of said male dies against movement, and means movable with another of said male dies for releasing said locking means.

4. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a female die, a rigidly supported male die, a plurality of annular male dies concentric with said rigid male die, fluid actuated means supporting said annular dies, radially movable locking means for one of said annular dies, and means carried by another of said annular male dies for engagement with said locking means to render the same inoperative,

5. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a female die, a rigidly supported male die, a plurality of annular male dies concentric with said rigid male die, fiuid actuated means independently resiliently supporting said annular dies, radially movable locking means for one of said annular dies, and means carried by another of said annular male dies for engagement with said locking means to render the same inoperative.

6. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a female die, a fixed male die, a plurality of annular male dies slidably mounted on said fixed die, air cushions supporting each of said annular dies, radially movable means locking one of said annular dies against movement relatively to said fixed die, and means movable with another of said annular male dies for releasing said locking means.

7. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a female die, a fixed male die, a plurality of annular male dies slidably mounted on said fixed die, air cushions supporting each of said annular dies, radially movable means locking one of said annular dies against movement relatively to said fixed die, and a cam punch movable with another of said annular male dies for releasing said locking means.

3. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a movable female die having axially adjacent sections of difierent diameters, a fixed forming stake, resilient supporting means concentric with said stake for locating and supporting the blank to be operated upon, a forming die concentric with said stake and blank sup-' porting means, means for resiliently supporting said forming die, radially movable locking means for rigidly supporting said forming die, and means carried by said resilient supporting means for releasing said locking means.

9. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a movable female die having axially adjacent sections of different diameters, a fixed forming stake, resilient supporting means concentric with said stake for locating and supporting the blank to be operated upon, a forming die concentric with said stake and blank supporting means and positioned intermediately thereof, fluid actuated means resiliently supporting said forming die, radially movable locking means for said forming die and means carried by said blank-supportingmeans for releasing said locking means.

10. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a movable female die having axially adjacent sections of difierent diameters, a fixed forming stake, resilient supporting means concentric with said stake for locating and supporting the blank to be operated upon, a forming die concentric with said stake and blank supporting means, fiuid actuated means resiliently supporting said forming die, an abutment adjacent said forming die, radially movable looking means associated with said abutment for engagement with said forming die, and a cam member dependent from said blank supporting means arranged to move said locking means into releasing position.

11. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a movable female die having axially adjacent sections of different diameters, a fixed forming stake, resilient supporting means concentric with said stake for locating and supporting the blank to be operated upon, a forming die concentric with said stake and blank supporting means, fluid actuated means resiliently supporting said forming die, an abutment adjacent said forming die, radially movable means associated with said abutment arresting axial movement of said forming die, and means carried by said blank supporting means arranged to release said radially movable means arresting movement of said forming die in one direction.

12. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a movable female die having axially adjacent sections of different diameters, a fixed forming stake, resilient supporting means concentric with said stake for locating and supporting the blank to be operated upon, a forming die concentric with said stake and blank supporting means, fluid actuated means resiliently supporting said forming; die; anabutment adjacent said forming die, radially inov able means associated with said abutment arresting axial movement of said forming'die, and

means immediately associated with said blank ported in said forming stake, and cam means carried by said blank supporting means for movmg said locking means into releasing position.

14. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of av movable female die having axially adjacent sections of different diameters, a fixed forming stake, resilient supporting means concentric with said stake for locating and supporting the blank to be operated upon, a forming die concentric with said stake and blank supporting means, fluid actuated means resiliently supporting said forming die, radially movable locking means for said forming die Within said forming stake, slides movably supported by said forming die for'actuating said locking means, and cam means dependent from said blank-supporting means for actuating the lock releasing slides supported by said forming die.

ERNEST H. ARNOLD. 

